FFXIV OC Fanfiction 28 - Beneath a Pale Moon
by blacklegheat
Summary: A rescue mission brings this long chapter to its conclusion as two opposing factions clash in a decisive conflict.
1. To the City in the Sky

"Mr. Hawke, how much longer until our arrival?" Gaius asked, walking up to the Hyur manning the helm of the large airship as it soared through the orange clouds.

"According to the toy fuzzball we're almost there. I've got Robin on lookout, assuming she hasn't found a way to get distracted yet." Alex replied.

"Very good, just make sure to be gentle with this vessel. I had to take a large sum out of our coffers for the Ironworks to let us use it, I don't want to add repair charges on top of that." The Au Ra instructed before heading towards a nearby group on the deck.

"Oi I think I see something!" Robin bellowed from the forecastle.

"Is it the city?" Alex shouted back.

"No, it looks like a swarm of flies or something." The Roegadyn replied.

"What the Hells is she..." Alex muttered as he pulled out his spyglass and gazed into the distance.

"Ah shit. Everyone prepare yourselves, flying Voidsent inbound!" He yelled as all those on board quickly snapped to attention and readied themselves for combat. In the distance a horde of winged demonic figures swept through the air towards the ship.

"Robyn, take the flying armor and cover us from the sky. Ranged combatants take aim around the perimeter. Everyone else prepare to strike once the enemy is within range." Gaius ordered before climbing into the Magitek Predator that had laid dormant near the cabin entrance.

As the enemy neared the Machinists and Bards began to strike from a distance, sending several of the demons tumbling down beneath the Sea of Clouds before they could reach the ship. An Ahriman swooped towards the deck but came to a sudden halt as it collided with the edge of Leo's lance in a squirt of gore.

Many more Voidsent avoided the projectiles sent their way and closed in on the airship but were promptly fended off. Rose prepared to attack one of the incoming enemies but suddenly fell to her knees whimpering as a sharp pain shot through her head.

"Rose! Are you okay?" Paris panicked as she began to prepare a healing spell.

"I- I'm..." She winced.

"We are one now. Accept me. Let me in. You cannot keep us apart any longer." A voice whispered to her.

"No!" Rose clutched her head, straining as she got back to her feet.

"Stand firm, something new is approaching." Leona warned. A Vodoriga came soaring towards them with a large Anubys in the clutches of its hands and feet.

"Bloody Hells are they just dropping in reinforcements now?" Dakota groaned.

"Ha! Just more for me to carve up." Robin replied enthusiastically. As the pair approached, the Vodoriga swung forward and loosened its grip on the Anubys as it came crashing down in front of them. Swiftly reeling back it let out a might swing of its great-axe as Leona instinctively flipped back out of the way. The group moved cautiously, dodging and waiting for a moment to counter attack as the Voidsent slashed violently towards them.

The Anubys began to target Asugi, lifting its axe up and bringing it crashing down towards him. However instead of dodging, the Au Ra bent back slightly and slammed his palms together, catching the head of the axe and holding it back as the creature tried to force it down.

"Asugi, quickly get down!" Gaius shouted. Focusing his strength, Asugi pushed the axe sideways, giving him a split second to drop to the ground as a large beam of energy shot out from behind him and straight into the enemy, leaving a gaping hole through what would have been its stomach before it collapsed to the ground.

"Good looking out!" Asugi smiled back to him with a thumb up. A whirring sound added to the noise ringing in the sky as Robyn now flew overhead chasing and gunning down Voidsent who had attempted to board the ship. Anna looked upon the sight in a moment of awe before something caught her attention.

"Woah, incoming! Something big" She yelled out as a large winged creature with a long tail slithered through the sky towards them.

"Ack, not another one of those giant bat things!" Laris cried out. Miles, Malik and N'athys readied their bows and prepared the Refulgent Arrow technique, waiting for the demon to draw closer before releasing their grips as dozen of bright magic arrows trailed through the clouds towards it. The gigantic creature sped through the sky with the projectiles following close behind. As fast and powerful as they were however the creature managed to outmaneuver them until the arrows lost their power and dissipated.

"Damn! This thing's too fast to keep up with." Malik growled.

"Be careful, it's set its sights on us now." N'athys warned as the Voidsent glared at the trio, snarling with its skeletal facial features before shooting a dark beam towards them. The bards scattered and leaped to the ground narrowly avoiding the blast as the creature charged up for another.

With a deafening screech the Voidsent shot out another energy beam, however this time it exploded in mid air as it clashed with Gaius' own beam shot from his Magitek Armor. As the Au Ra took aim and prepared to fire once more, the demon glided off and began evasive maneuvers.

"Damn this wretched thing, I can't get a proper aim on it." Gaius growled in frustrated.

"Hey boss I have an idea!" Robyn shouted as the flying armor zoomed in towards him from behind, it's two arms leaning forward as the claws took a firm grip on the Magitek Predator's limbs.

"Robyn what on Hydaelyn do you think you're doing?!" Gaius let out.

"Trust me it'll work out, just try and get a good hit in on that thing when we're close enough." She yelled back to him as she pulled up on the controls. The flying vehicle took with off the bipedal armour swaying beneath it, giving chase to the elusive enemy.

"Robyn Mercer put me down this instant!" Gaius shouted with his hands clenched on the controls.

"I could if you wanna plummet down beneath the clouds. Just hang tight until I close in on it." The Miqo'te tried to reassure him. Gaius reluctantly followed along with the woman's idea and prepared to fire once more. Although he was now closer and more in-line with the enemy it was hard to read whether his shot would hit or not with the constant swaying and the unpredictable nature of the enemy's movements.

"I have only one shot at this, if I miss we'll both be vulnerable to a counter attack and would likely perish. I better hope this hits its mark..." Gaius muttered to himself, his hand hovering over the cannon control ready to fire at any moment. As soon as his instinct kicked in Gaius immediately fired the Magitek cannon and a bright beam split straight through the torso of the giant Voidsent which let out a blood curdling screech as it plummeted down beneath the clouds.

"Alright! Great work boss!" Robyn cheered.

"Yes, now just get me back on the ship already!" He yelled back to her.

"We're coming up on the city!" Alex yelled, still steering the vessel as several others protected him from the few remaining Voidsent that continued their assault. After dispatching the last of the demonic fiends, the group prepared themselves as the large airship began to slow down and came to a halt near a small platform. A step ladder lowered and each member began taking turns stepping off the vessel.

"Flint and Moglet will be staying behind to take care of the ship as well as supporting us from a distance, everyone else is to remain vigilant on our way towards the castle." Gaius instructed as the group approached a large plaza in the lifeless city.

"Be on your guard at all times, the enemy could strike at any moment." The Au Ra advised, but as he finished the ground beneath them seemed to shatter like glass and everyone began falling into a dark and endless abyss.

Robyn awoke to the scent of breakfast cooking from the next room as she turned in her bed and rubbed her eyes.

"What's Alex cooking this morning? It smells like eggs." She thought to herself as she wriggled around in bed, turning her body to the side and leaping legs first out of bed. She began stretching her arms, back then her legs before getting dressed and walking out into the kitchen.

"Oh, good morning dear." An older blonde Miqo'te woman smiled as she prepared her meal.

"M-mum?" Robyn let out softly.

"Yes is everything alright? Leona left already to help your father with work today." She replied.

"My father? What about..." Robyn began muttering to herself.

"That reminds me, isn't your friend Alex supposed to be sailing in to the nearby port town today? You should make sure to see him tonight." The woman reminded her.

"Oh right, I may as well travel there soon then. Love you!" Robyn headed towards the front door excitedly.

"Stay out of trouble while you're gone, your father doesn't want to have to get you released from the Yellow Jackets after another brawl again!" Her mother called out as she left. Robyn stepped out into a peaceful village, the morning sun shining across the green plains and farmlands as the villagers went about their daily lives.

"Oh Robyn you're not helping your father today?" N'athys asked as he approached her.

"Hi Enny, Alex is arriving in the next town later today so I'm headed there instead." She replied.

"I really wish you'd stop calling me that. Would you mind a travel companion? I'd relish the chance to be able to sketch any animals we come across on our way there." The blue-haired Miqo'te asked.

"Sure, although we're likely meeting together at the local tavern so it might get a little too rowdy for you there tonight." Robyn replied.

"It's quite okay, perhaps I could soothe the patrons with a melody, and should the need arise I do know how to defend myself." N'athys reassured her with a soft smile as they began their departure. They passed by the village well and noticed a young woman standing there trembling.

"Rose? What's the matter?" The pair paused as N'athys turned to the Auri woman who stood there shaking with her eyes clenched shut.

"Do not run from this." A voice whispered to her as Rose opened her eyes to the sound of N'athys' voice. As she did Rose saw two Miqo'te standing calmly in front of her as the village around them was engulfed in flames. The screams of the townsfolk invaded into her mind and the heat of the flames lashed against her skin.

"Are you okay?" Robyn asked as she took a step towards her.

"Stay away!" Rose shrieked as she grabbed her head with her hands and closed her eyes once more.

"Don't come any closer." She whimpered.

"Open your eyes, see the truth for what it is." The voice whispered to her again.

"T-the village why is it suddenly... gone? Why is everything on fire? What is happening to everyone?!" Rose screamed. Robyn looked at her in confusion for a moment before her eyes widened in fear. What was once a peaceful village quickly faded into a blazing nightmare before her eyes.

"By the Twelve, what is happening here?" N'athys let out as he gazed at the alarming sight around him. The horrific environment seemingly became more chaotic as strange cracks began to appear nearby around the group.

"Remember this fear. Remember this pain. Remember this reality." The voice whispered to the Au Ra once more.

"No!" She screamed, the piercing sound echoing out as the cracks around them grew bigger before the reality around them seemed to shatter. Rose opened her eyes to see the cold view of the lifeless city of Dun Scaith around her once more. The others were all sprawled around the floor, seemingly just regaining consciousness.

"Balathor, you traitor!" A voice hissed as a powerful Succubus floated above them. Rose staggered for a moment then regained her composure.

"All the aether these fools brought could have been ours, just as those mortals promised, and yet you would side with them?" She continued.

"Balathor? No... My name is Rose." The Au Ra replied in a strangely echoed voice, leering at the Succubus with a menacing grin, her left eye suddenly a crimson red hue.

"You will pay!" The Voidsent screamed as she dove forward. Rose concentrated and began channeling aether through her staff creating a small flaming orb at the end of it that shot out towards her enemy, striking her in the chest.

"W-what is this?" She shrieked in pain as pillars of flame began bursting out of holes that continuously broke out along her body, spreading outwards from where the attack initially hit. The Succubus let out one last scream before she was engulfed in flames and left nothing but ash that was carried away through the light breeze.

"Is everyone alright?" Gaius asked as everyone else had eventually stumbled onto their feet.

"Yeah but what was that, a dream? It seemed far too real." Sarya replied.

"What about Rose how did she wake up and defeat that thing so easily?" Asugi asked.

"And what happened to your eye?" Anna added. Rose began to feel overwhelmed with everyone's attention suddenly on her after all that happened. She took a step back as her eyes began to well up before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay Rose. You can tell me what happened." Gaius told her calmly.

"I-it's the Voidsent that's been inside me all these years. It appears that we've... Well, merged." She let out softly, her body still shivering.

"Merged? You mean you've both become one being?" He asked. "But that should be impossible, Voidsent have been recorded to possess and even temporarily change the form of ones body but never have they become one with their host. Unless... Wait, it can't be." He muttered.

"It must have been the Fantasia formula I made. It can completely alter ones form so I guess it did the same for the monster that was inside of me as well and fused us into one being. Ever since then I've heard a strange voice whispering on occasions, trying to coax me into letting down my guard and becoming one. I guess this is what it meant." Rose explained.

"How do you feel?" Gaius asked.

"I feel... Fine I suppose? My blind eye feels a little strange but other than that I don't feel any different than I did before." She replied.

"Very well, we can look into this matter more once we rescue Juria and return home. For now we must continue pressing onward." He announced as the group prepared to continue on once more but were suddenly interrupted by a voice calling out to them.

"So you've defeated that Succubus, colour me impressed." A man exclaimed as he approached the group. He was a Hyuran Midlander with short, messy black hair, thin scruffy facial hair and bright blue eyes with dark, sleepless circles around them. He was dressed in rogue-like attire with a perculiar rod tucked into the sash behind the belt on his waist.

"Who are you, another one of Alvin's men?" Leo asked bluntly with his weapon in hand.

"Alvin? Never heard of the man. The name's Siegfried, Siegfried Lionhardt, but you can just call me Sieg. Now it's my turn for a question; what brings such a large group of adventurers like yourselves to a place like this?" He asked.

"We've come to rescue someone important to us who was taken to a castle at the edge of the city." Gaius answered wearily.

"Is that so. Well I'm not sure who that Alvin character you mentioned is but if he was the one who abducted them and brought them here then is was likely under someone else's orders." Sieg replied.

"And what makes you think that?" Gaius asked.

"Because the one I'm here for is the current master of that castle." He answered.

"Alvin isn't one to take orders from someone else, why should we believe anything you're saying?" Leo asked skeptically as the other Hyur just shrugged.

"It's your choice whether you'd like to believe me or not but the truth is no matter who you are fear can be an overwhelming influence. Likely this Alvin character isn't working under him out of respect." Sieg explained.

"Working under who exactly?" Gaius interrupted.

"I'll explain everything on the way there, there's no point standing here in idle chatter." Sieg offered. The Au Ra was reluctant at first but ended up agreeing. After all if it were at enemy trap then this Siegfried character would be vastly outnumbered.

"Very well, we'll co-operate together for now." Gaius agreed as they began their travel through the silent city.

"The master who resides in that old castle is named Alastor Lionhardt, he's an ancestor of mine." Sieg began.

"Ancestor, but shouldn't he be really old by now? Like hunched over dragging his beard on the floor old?" Laris blurted out.

"My impostor mentioned something about his master being a higher power able to shroud the world in darkness. If he's an Ascian then I don't think age would be an important factor." Leo mentioned.

"He's no Ascian, no old man either. Just a shadow of his former self. In short, he's no different to that Carbuncle there." Sieg replied, pointing to the small blue creature that was trotting along beside Paris.

"My family has a history of researching arcane magic, my ancestor Alastor devoted his life to researching cloning through Arcanima and eventually succeeded in creating a clone of himself through his research. However the Arcanima was violent, heartless and unpredictable and ended up taking his life." He explained.

"So that doppelganger I fought in the ruins, he was an Arcanima clone of myself?" Leo asked.

"That would seem to be the case, although I can't tell without seeing it for myself." Sieg shrugged.

"But if that were the case how would a stranger that none of has have ever encountered be able to create a clone of one of our members?" Gaius thought aloud.

"Someone you know is working under him, correct? Unlike a Carbuncle which is summoned through the use of gemstones, Arcanima clones use Materia formed from the aether of a specific person to give the clone its form." He replied.

"It was that bastard Alvin then. For a time he made us train using specific gear which he later converted into Materia for what he excused as future training." Leona explained.

"So this allegiance went back further than suspected." Gaius frowned.

"These Arcanima are similar to Primals in regards that they need a fairly consistent source of aether to keep their form. Alastor has spent all these years silently murdering civilians, draining their aether and sowing seeds of chaos. My father attempted to hunt him down long ago when I was still a child but ended up losing his own life. Now it falls onto me to finally rid this star of his blight." Sieg finished.

"Then let us bring him down together." Leo nodded.

"So how did you arrive here exactly? After all we're on a floating city, you couldn't just walk here." Neilla asked.

"I arrived a couple days ago on a single pilot airship and spent most of my time trying to make my way through the city without alerting the Voidsent that inhabit this place. Unfortunately that Succubus had been blocking my path to the castle since then, until you finally arrived that is." He replied.

"And you were oh so generous to lend us a helping hand with that." Miles added.

"Had I known how to defeat it I would have done so when i first arrived here. She was a powerful demon, able to send her prey into a deep slumber, dreaming of their hearts greatest desires while she slowly siphons away their aether, leaving nothing but a dead empty husk. Even if I were to confront her while she was busy with you I still would have quickly fallen under her spell." Sieg explained.

"So that was our hearts greatest desire then... What did you dream of, Miles?" N'athys asked.

"N-never you worry about that, little kitten. Besides we have more important topics at hand." The Hyur replied.

"Yes, like the question of how that Au Ra girl over there was able to see through the charade and save you all." Sieg added.

"We still have yet to figure that out for ourselves." Said Gaius sternly.

"Look, that must be it!" Robyn yelled out as she ran forward a little and pointed far off in front of her. In the distance on a small mountain stood a tall, menacing castle illuminated by the large full moon shining behind it.

"Great, how the Hells do we get there now? It'll take all night to scale that mountain and there's probably a horde of regrouped Voidsent between us and the ship by now." Alex grumbled.

"I think I might have an idea, but..." Paris paused.

"I could use a teleportation spell to get us there but I've never used it at a great distance such as this or with another person, let alone of whole group of us." She finished.

"What's the risk?" Leo asked.

"Well it runs that chance of failing to carry us all, leaving me as the only one transported there or... Taking such a large group could disrupt the navigation path and change our destination to let's say an empty space in the sky over there." Paris explained.

"Do you believe this plan might work?" Gaius asked her.

"I... Believe there's a chance." She replied hesitantly.

"Then that's all I need. Let's get started then." Gaius placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before gathering everyone together.

"Here goes..." Paris muttered to herself as she summoned her staff and began channeling aether. A swirl of magic circled her, slowly growing wider until it soon enveloped to whole group, and with a sudden flash they were gone.


	2. Time to Ascend

Leo opened his eyes and noticed his face against something cold as he realized he was lying on a hard stone floor. The Hyur got up in a daze, slightly disorientated but quickly regaining his senses as he looked around. He noticed Neilla lying down nearby and approached her, kneeling by her side and nudging her gently.

"Neilla, are you alright? Open your eyes." He said softly.

"L-leo? Did it work, are we inside that castle?" She asked, lifting herself up as four others around them got to their feet.

"It seems we have penetrated their defenses, but where are the others?" Miles wondered as he turned to Paris.

"I-I don't know, they must be somewhere else in the castle. I hope..." Paris muttered to herself.

"We'll reconvene with them later, our priority should be dealing with the residents of this castle then finding your hostage." Sieg instructed.

"What kind of room are we in anyway? The ceiling and stairs lead so high up and there's machinery lining all the walls." Leona pondered.

"Who knows, some kind of clock tower?" Miles replied.

"In any case, let's head to the top and see where it leads, we may be able to get a better handle on our position from there." Leo suggested.

"Good plan, but you're not going anywhere. Not when I finally have you." A feminine voice echoed throughout the room.

"Leo, look out!" Neilla warned as a figure came crashing down with a lance towards the group, the silver-haired Hyur barely avoiding the attack in time.

"Reza. Don't you ever quit?" Leo asked as he readied his weapon.

"I never let a job go unfinished. And I never let a mark go free." She replied as she rushed forward with her lance. Leo parried her blows as Miles readied his bow and took aim at the Ishgardian woman.

"I'm not sure what this lovely lady was thinking but she is heavily outnumbered." The man said as he released the arrow straight towards her head. Suddenly a glowing serpentine figure emerged from Reza and lashed out towards the projectile, destroying it in mid-air.

"Well that was unexpected, what the Hells was that?" Leo growled as he deflected another vicious attack.

"That was just a taste of the dragon's power that I possess. Although I was never chosen as the eye's Azure Dragoon, I still carried the power of the dragon with me and have trained tirelessly to improve upon it all these years. No matter how many there are of you, you will all fall here tonight." Reza smirked.

"To Hells with that!" Leona shouted as she charged forward holding the hilt of her blade. The Elezen unsheathed her weapon as she neared her target which sent a powerful gust of wind towards the enemy that cut through the air like razors, but was met with the same red serpentine figure that blocked the attack.

"You annoying snake!" Leona yelled as she sliced forward towards the glowing entity that protected the mercenary. It met the blade of her katana with the same force as a sword, parrying her attack as Leona started slashing relentlessly. Reza soon found herself fending off two combatants front and back almost effortlessly.

"This isn't good, we have to do something." Paris exclaimed to her nearby party. Neilla stepped forward, placing her crystal medium on the hilt of her rapier and materializing multiple blades of ice that floated above her. With a thrust of her rapier, the blades flew through the air towards Reza and the draconic entity.

With a spin of her lance, Reza deflected both Leo's attack and the incoming projectiles which veered upwards, crashing into some of the clock's mechanisms and causing a giant gear to smash down to the ground below as the trio sprung back to avoid the danger.

"Leona, watch out!" Paris shouted, reaching a hand out helplessly as the ground beneath the fallen gear began to give way and crumble, with the Elezen falling down below with it.

"Leona!" Leo shouted as he quickly got to his feet and peered down the dark abyss.

"I'd be more concerned about my own well being if I were you." Reza taunted as she thrust her lance into the Hyur, piercing through his armour and into his chest. Leo let out a cough of blood before falling onto his side.

"You bitch!" Neilla shrieked as she charged forward. "Miles, cover me!" She shouted, striking at the Ishgardian woman with her rapier. Miles quickly took aim and fired several arrows towards the serpentine figure that materialized to fend them off, keeping it busy as Paris raced over to Leo's side.

"Gods damn it Sieg, why are you just standing there? Do something!" The Roegadyn yelled as she began to heal Leo's wounds. Siegfried however just stood there, staring intently at the fight in front of him. Neilla tried to combat their enemy as best she could, however her weapon wasn't suited to defending against the strong strikes of Reza's lance.

Miles grabbed another arrow from his quiver, preparing to strike once more before Sieg reached out with his cane to stop him.

"Hold off on that for a moment, let's see what happens when her little pet doesn't have anyone to play with." Sieg instructed.

"Are you mad? She could get killed!" Miles yelled.

"Just trust me on this." Sieg replied, his eyes remaining on the fight at all times. Nearby, Leo groaned and opened his eyes as Paris used her magic to tend to his wounds.

"Keep still, you're not in any condition to fight yet." Paris ordered.

"Is this really the best you can do? You're just wasting my time." Reza said before summoning the dragon spirit once more.

"There we go." Sieg grinned as blue diamonds materialized and started to spin around the Hyur who began casting. Suddenly a blue serpentine figure formed from Sieg's outstretched hand and shot forward towards Reza's, wrapping around it like a snake coil and restricting its movements.

"W-what is this?!" Reza let out in shock, lowering her guard for a brief moment and opening a window for Neilla to close in and strike her rapier through the Elezen's shoulder. The Reza roared in pain with fury in her eyes, ready to strike the Hyur down before she suddenly stopped as Leo drove his lance straight through her abdomen.

"This isn't... How..." Reza let out, choking on her own blood as she collapsed to her knees. Leo pulled back and removed his weapon from her body as the Elezen fell to the floor.

"Leo! Are you okay?" Neilla asked as she ran to his side.

"I'll be alright, just need to shake this off while Paris' magic finishes the job." He replied.

"You're lucky she didn't pierce any of your vital organs, but let's take it easy for now until you're healed." Paris replied.

"Aright but we have to keep moving. We need to catch up to the others and find Juria." Leo said clutching his chest as the group ascended the staircase.


	3. Deep in the Dungeon

Meanwhile, in the musty depths of the castle, another group was slowly gaining a grasp on their whereabouts and the situation they suddenly found themselves in. Seven of the original party's members had gathered together in a dimly lit hallway after regaining their senses. The eighth of the group however was kneeling over in a corner, Laris was unable to keep his stomach from rising as Moira knelt down next to the blonde Miqo'te to help comfort him.

"So it's just us here? Where are the others?" Asugi asked.

"I guess we all got separated when Paris teleported us, she did say it was risky." Anna suggested.

"This is a problematic situation we're in. If our party is divided then it gives the enemy an even greater advantage against us, and on their home ground no less." Gaius alerted everyone.

"Then it would be best if we stuck close together and remained on guard at all times." N'athys added before a Miqo'te girl quickly wrapped her arms around his.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you. The depths of a dark and scary castle? I'm completely in my element here, demons dare not trifle with their queen nor her designated king." Jessika grinned at him.

"I fear we may have already stumbled into an enemy trap, watch out!" Rose yelled out. Suddenly the room began to shake as the entire wall behind them began to slowly creep forward.

"W-what the Hells is going on?" Anna let out in surprise as Asugi raced past her, leaning himself against the wall and trying to halt its advance.

"Trying to save yourselves are you? I'm afraid your attempts are futile." A voice echoed out towards them from a distance, as if amplified by magic to reach the group.

"That voice... Domitrien?" Moira gasped.

"The filthy cur who attempted to kidnap Ms. Svent. Do you really believe a simple trick will prevent us from proceeding further?" Gaius asked.

"You'll soon be eating those words. Rest assured I have far greater traps in store for you all. None of you will make it out of here alive!" Domitrien chuckled.

"Hey guys I can't hold this thing back." Asugi grunted as he strained against the creeping wall. The texture of it began to shift and swirl as a demonic figure pulled itself out from the stone surface, its torso hanging connected from it as the creature let out a roar.

"Monster! That's it I'm not staying here to die, let's run already!" Laris yelled as he began to sprint past the party towards the archway exit across the room.

"Laris wait, it's likely trap!" Gaius yelled out but it was too late. As the Au Ra finished calling out to him, Laris' next step forward landed upon a slightly raised slab of stone that let out a soft click as it pressed down. Immediately as the Miqo'te's foot touched the ground the room lit up from a sudden explosion at the archway.

"Laris!" A few of the members let out in shock. The smoke began to fade revealing Laris crouched on the fetal position with a magic shield slowly dissipating around him. Gaius placed his tome away that he had drawn to protect the Miqo'te and stepped forward.

"This is why we stick together, do you understand? You almost got yourself killed! Be more cautious from here on." Gaius grabbed Laris tail, gaining his attention and scowling while he lectured him.

"Alright, Alright I'm sorry! Please let go." The Miqo'te sobbed. Asugi quickly ran to the group and knocked on Gaius' chest with the back of his hand as he stepped in front of him.

"As careful as we have to be, we've got to get out of here now." He urged as he placed one hand on Gaius' shoulder and pointed behind him with another. A growl filled the room as the wall proceeded to close in on them. Turning back towards Laris the party noticed the the archway that once stood in front of them was destroyed by the blast, now widely open to a long hallway to which no end could be seen.

"How far does this hall go?" Anna wondered aloud.

"We've not the time to ponder right now. Mr. Nassau, do you have any plans on how to proceed?" Rose asked.

"Hmm... We'll have to keep a steady pace. I'll continuously scan the area in front of us for any traps while we try to outpace the Voidsent to our rear. As long as we're careful and keep our composure we should be able to make it out in one piece." The Au Ra explained.

Gaius raised his hand as aetherial readings began to appear in front of him, shifting and changing constantly. The group continued on a short distance until the Scholar's readings picked up another trap on the floor. Splitting up for the moment, the party hugged to walls and proceeded cautiously until Gaius signaled it was clear.

Everyone continued to proceed carefully around various other tripwires and trap switches until they came to a halt in front of a large hole in the ground that spanned the width of the room.

"Well it's too big to jump across, how far down do you think it goes?" Moira asked.

"Hmm..." N'athys wondered as he picked up a loose bit of stone off the ground and tossed it down the hole, anticipating the sound of it hitting the ground below but only being met with silence.

"Too deep to venture downwards I'm guessing" Asugi shrugged.

"We'll have to find another method to cross this gap, any suggestions?" Gaius asked.

"I have an idea!" Jessika let out, raising her hand forward towards the ceiling. A long glowing tether shot out of her palm and attached to the ceiling before pulling her up and swinging her over to the other side.

"Making the best out of your abilities, huh? Let me give it a try then." Anna said as she stepped forward, grabbing a turret from her pack and throwing it out in front of her. The device shifted and extended, the propeller whirling as it activated and began flying forward. Anna leaped up and grabbed onto it as the turret started moving, floating to the other side before deactivating it and landing on the ground.

"How am I supposed to make it across? I don't have any cool magic tricks or toys like that?" Laris asked.

"Not to worry, buddy!" Asugi grinned as he wrapped an arm around both Laris and N'athys and ran towards the wall on one side. He jumped up and began running alongside the wall for a few steps before kicking off it and landing over the other side as the blonde Miqo'te screamed in freight.

"W-well that was nerve racking, I wish you'd have told me of your plan beforehand." N'athys shook a little as Asugi let go of him. With a brief flash of light Gaius' apparel changed as he held out a staff in front of him. Together the three mages teleported themselves to the party on the opposite side before Gaius switched back with a flash to his previous attire.

"Right, let us press on." Gaius instructed.

"Uh-uh-uh, not so fast. Do try to remember that we reside in void-ridden ruins, and it just so happens I've had some of them contained in this very dungeon. Until now, that is. You may have squirmed your way through my traps but I'm afraid the trials that await you will not be so easy." Domitrien's voice echoed throughout the area.

There was an eerie silence following the Duskwights taunts, and then came a thumping sound, distant at first but soon growing louder and louder until an enormous creature came crashing through a wall.

"A cyclops, be careful of its gaze!" Gaius shouted as the party readied themselves to fight. The monster bellowed and swung it's giant club at them wildly as they each dodge its attacks. The cyclops paused for a moment, preparing to paralyze the whole group with one attack, but as it was charging N'athys let loose at arrow that shot straight into its giant eye.

"Quickly, now's our chance to escape." He yelled, beckoning the others to follow with as the giant roared and held its face in pain. As the party ventured down a newly opened corridor they noticed countless cells lining the walls. While not taking the time to inspect what was inside, it was obvious that there was some form of creature in each of them.

"Don't think it will be that easy." Domitrien's voice echoed again, following by clanging sounds as each of the bolts connected to the cell gates flew off, the doors collapsing to the ground as the imprisoned entities were set free. Voidsent of all shapes and sizes emerged from their cells and began to pursue the group.

"Quick, run! There's no way we can take on all of them at once." Moira yelled.

"We need to devise a plan and fast!" Anna replied.

"I think I have one. Moira, prepare to cast Flare while we're running and wait for my signal." Rose instructed as the Roegadyn nodded. The party continued to flee, nearing towards a flight of stairs with the Voidsent forces approaching still from behind.

"Now, the roof! Everyone else get up the stairs!" Rose yelled as the Black Mages set off two massive blasts that shook the room as the ceiling began to crumble, blocking off their enemies with a wall of rubble.

"Good idea, but what if this staircase leads us to a dead end?" Anna asked.

"If so we'll just deal with that when the time comes. For now I'm just glad to have those creatures off our backs." Laris panted.

"No time for rest yet, we've still got to get to Domitrien." Asugi said, patting the Miqo'te on the back as they continued onward.

"Urgh I tire of this, Leo take care of them!" Domitrien ordered.

"What is he talking about?" N'athys mumbled before something caught the corner of his eye as a blade came rushing towards him. Jessika jumped forward and blocked it with her rapier before it was deflected and she was knocked to the ground.

"Jessika!" N'athys let out as a silver-haired Hyur stood above her with blade in hand.

"No!" Gaius shouted as the assailant prepared to strike down into the helpless Miqo'te before him. In a flash of light, Gaius' attire changed once more with a large great sword in hand that parried the attack just in time.

"You're the foul creature that captured my sister aren't you, where are you keeping her?!" Gaius shouted.

"Sorry, but I don't know where the woman is. Domitrien however is likely to have the information you seek. Alas to get to him you'll first have to go through me." The Leo copy chuckled with a taunting grin as he raised his sword towards the Au Ra.

"You say that like it's a challenge." Anna remarked as she fired several shots towards him. The copy swiftly deflected each bullet with his sword before gathering energy in his hand and sending a blast of dark magic towards her, the Midlander woman barely dodging away in time. The blast passed, colliding with the wall of debris behind them and creating an opening for the Voidsent who slowly began creeping in from behind.

"By the Twelve as if things couldn't get worse." Moira let out as she began channeling magic.

"Now this seems like more of a fair fight, wouldn't you agree?" The false Leo grinned.

"Fair or not we'll still crush you!" Jessika yelled as N'athys helped her back on to her feet.

"Come, our efforts would be better spent on the Voidsent that approach us." N'athys suggested as he gently held her arm.

"I don't know which is worse, fighting a bunch of monsters or fighting an evil Leo" Laris said as he hopped on the spot indecisively.

"Having second thoughts? I'll choose for you!" The copy replied as he dashed towards the Miqo'te. Asugi leaped forward and tackled Laris to the ground as the swordsman swung his blade, narrowly missing them. Gaius lunged forward in the air towards the fake Hyur who quickly turned to block the attack.

"Seven Hells this fiend is fast." Gaius growled as he pulled his blade back and readied to parry the incoming attacking.

"Laris, we could use some assistance!" N'athys shouted out.

"U-uh right!" He gulped as he drew his weapons and ran towards the others who were fending off the Voidsent. The fake Leo and Gaius continued to trade blows, Gaius was able to defend himself but was left with no opportunity for a counteract as the Hyur slashed at him relentlessly.

"I see your strength is beginning to wane, how about I take care of you now and move on to your friends?" The Hyur mocked as he prepared to strike the Au Ra down.

"Oh no you don't!" Asugi shouted as he dashed forward and drove his elbow into the fake's spine, causing him to stop and stammer in pain. Gaius swung and knocked the Hyur down, his sword sliding away across the floor. Asugi raised a leg and slammed his foot down onto the doppelganger's stomach, causing him to cough violently.

"Your form is maintained by aether, right? Well I'd say that's a perfect snack for the pets you caged up back there." Asugi said as he grabbed the Hyur and lifted him up into the air above his head.

"W-what are you doing?! Put me down!" The Leo copy panicked.

"Sure, I'll put you down for good!" Asugi shouted as he began sprinting off before coming to a halt and throwing the doppelganger forward into the group of Voidsent his allies were fending off.

"Quickly, we must retreat while they're distracted!" Gaius beckoned as the party joined together and continued on down the corridor as the Hyur was held and clawed at by the vicious Voidsent who began siphoning his aether. Soon after his shrieks of pain and terror stopped as all that remained amidst the monsters was a small cracked materia orb, the colour faded at the loss of all the aether it once contained.

"Look, there he is!" Laris pointed out as they turned towards what seemed like another hallway lined with prison cells. In the center of the room stood a menacing Duskwight in formal attire.

"Impossible! My lord's creation should have been the end to you all. No matter, you will all do as I command." He began as he revealed a musket from behind him and aimed it towards the cell beside him, a faint, feminine figure could be seen beyond the bars.

"One false move and I'll refurbish this cell with your lovely Juria's blood." Domitrien warned.

"Domitrien you're truly mad, why are you doing this? Your father would be rolling in his grave if he could see you now." Moira yelled.

"My father was a pathetic boot-licker who never aspired to anything greater than making your family happy. I desire what should truly be mine, and soon with you and your daughter out of the way I shall take it." The Duskwight replied. He paused for a moment as the room shook ever so slightly.

"And what does Juria have to do with this? You've lured us here, just as you wanted now release her!" Gaius demanded.

"I'll do no such thing and take no such orders from the likes of you. For too long I've spent my life serving others, even now I live beneath a master. But soon I will be the one in command, just like I am now. I will pick you all off one by one until all that's left is poor little Juria here to deal with. Then I'll kill her as well." Domitrien threatened. Gaius clenched his teeth, struggling to contain himself for the safety of his sibling whilst he devised a plan.

"Don't you see? As long as I hold your precious sister's life in my hands you can't do a thing! You will all die here tonight and I'll laugh and cackle while I force the light out of each and every one of your pathetic little eyes! I'll-" Domitrien's maniacal screams were suddenly cut off by a loud crash as the roof above him suddenly caved in. Juria in her cell beside him let out a squeal as she instinctively jumped back against the wall. A giant gear collapsed on the ground from the ceiling above, damaging the cell gate and leaving a puddle of blood beneath it from where the Duskwight once stood.

A faint scraping sound followed from above as an Elezen woman steadily declined from the opening above, holding onto her lance that had pierced the wall with sparks flicking from the blade as it trailed downwards. The party all look onwards in shock by the sudden events as Leona tugged her weapon from the wall and dropped down, landing on the grounded gear below.

"Well that was amazing." Jessika finally spoke up. Gaius and Asugi rushed towards the cell to tend to Juria while the others approached Leona.

"Mrs. Mercer? By the Twelve how did you manage to get down here? What happened to you?" Rose asked as the Elezen placed her lance away and with a flash returned to her Samurai attire.

"I was separated with some of the others when we were ambushed by Reza inside a clock tower or something. Whatever it was, the mechanism was damaged in the fight and that gear came tumbling down in front of me and crashed through the flooring. I lost count of how many stories I fell through and the rest explains itself." Leona answered as she dusted herself off.

"Juria are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Gaius asked as he rushed to help the Auri woman off the ground.

"I-I'm alright, I haven't eaten since arriving here so I'm a bit light-headed but I'll manage. I also lost my weapon when that monster brought me here so I'm afraid I won't be much help to you all in battle, I'm sorry." Juria bowed.

"It's quite alright Juria, I'm just glad you're safe." Gaius said softly, pulling her in for a hug as his eyes began to water a little.

"We took care of that fiend that looked like Leo, now we just have to continue through this castle to find the real one." Asugi informed her.

"Then we best leave now. Last I saw he was in the midst of battling Reza and I wasn't able to see it through to the end." Leona explained.

"Then if Juria's okay we better get moving quickly before those Voidsent back there catch on to us again." Anna stated. Juria nodded and as the party made their way around the fallen debris they continued their navigation of the castle.


	4. Monstrous Creation

As many of their comrades were fighting for their lives both above and below, another stranded group found themselves wandering the interior of the castle. Candlelit chandeliers illuminated the way as the party proceeded through a large empty hall with an eerie silence that was only disturbed by the sound of their footsteps.

"I don't like this at all. It was swarming with Voidsent out there, yet there's no sign of anyone or anything in the castle." Malik groaned

"An obvious trap if I ever saw one. And with the others separated we could get outnumbered in an instant. Everyone stay on your guard." Alex warned.

"It's a good thing you have me along, I'll make sure to alert you all if I sense anything." Sarya said as she tied her blindfold around her eyes, cutting off her sense of vision yet greatly increasing her perception of the surrounding area.

"Still, as bad as our situation looks I cannot help but worry about the others. They may face even worse dangers than us." Dakota pondered.

"Don't worry, they can handle themselves against whatever the enemy may throw at them." Robyn replied.

"Yeah and if not I'll just tear this whole bloody castle down 'til we find them all again." Robin added reassuringly. The group proceeded into a large library with rows upon rows of shelves and various desks spread across the room with candles lit upon them.

"Be careful, I sense someone's presence in the distance. It feels like they're just... Watching though. Whatever it is, it's not making any movement." Sarya warned. The group proceeded cautiously across the room until a loud burst filled the air as several books started flying off the shelves.

"Now they're just messing with us." Alex grumbled. The group made their way to the end of the room towards a large door. Alex and Robin pushed each side open, revealing an entrance to a dimly lit alchemy lab. Various colours illuminated small portions of the room from the various cauldrons and vials that bubbled and stirred throughout the area. At the very end Malik could make out the shape of a sizable figure slumped against the wall.

"Is that what you sensed earlier?" He asked the Au Ra. Sarya nodded and the group proceeded slowly towards it. As they stepped closer a rattling sound began to stir and the figure began to rise, revealing its large Roegadyn physique. Or at least it appeared Roegadyn, however its skin was all patched up with an assortment of different toned flesh and pieces of metal bolted to it.

"What in the Seven Hells is that thing?!" Robyn yelled out in disgust.

"Nothing good, it doesn't seem too happy that we're here." Dakota replied. The monster stood up fully, revealing chains binding its hands and legs to the wall. With one swift motion, the creature pulled its arms forward, breaking the chains effortlessly before stumbling towards the group.

"What're you pansies worried about, I could do that in my sleep. That thing doesn't even have a weapon, this fight'll be over in a second." Robin scoffed as she readied her axe and began to charge onward. The Roegadyn woman leaped forward with her axe above her ready to swing down, but as she did the monster parried it with its fist.

"Shit!" She yelled as she was sent flying back behind the group. "Okay maybe this thing's tougher than it looks, let's just make that five seconds then." She huffed and she got back to her feet.

"That strength is incredible, make sure not to get in the way of those fists." Dakota warned.

"If we can't get close then I'll just take it out from afar." Robyn replied as she began to aim a large projectile towards the enemy. When the shot was clear the Miqo'te fired, sending a large drill shooting off towards the creature rapidly. The creature raised an arm before bringing it crashing down upon the incoming projectile, crushing and compacting the metal as if it were a tin can that was now lying at its feet.

"Not good, how the Hells are we supposed to kill this thing?" Robyn asked out.

"I'm not sure but those arms are a problem. We have to do something about them before it gets too close to us." Malik warned as the creature slowly shuffled towards the group.

"How're we supposed to even get a shot in if it deflects all our attacks like it's nothing?" Alex groaned.

"I'll try distracting it. Dakota, Robin, I'll need you two to make your move once you get an opening. It's likely that you'll only get one shot at this so make it count." Sarya instructed as she removed her blindfold. She raised her arms in front of her and in rapid succession began making Mudra signs with her hands. Immediately afterwards a chill filled the air as large clusters of icicle shuriken began to form behind the Au Ra.

"Now!" Sarya shouted as she sent the projectiles hurling towards the creature. The two Roegadyn women gripped their axes and leaped towards the enemy, bringing them crashing down through the air and ripping through the monsters thick limbs. It let out a bellowing roar before falling to the ground with an oddly light weight to it.

"Did it work?" Dakota asked, staring down at the creature. A look of confusion quickly covered her face, along with everyone else as the monster that lied before then began to vanish, leaving only an arm-less mannequin and a couple of sparkling objects in its wake. Alex approached and knelt down in front of the pile of wood and began to examine one of the glinting objects.

"So that explains it." Alex growled as he gripped what appeared to be a bracelet tightly. Standing upright once more, Alex tossed the jewelry to the ground next to an identical piece before slamming his boot down on top of them repeatedly until they shattered.

"Wait a moment, weren't those the bracelets you used to have?" Robyn asked.

"Yeah, until the little stage show that rat Alvin pulled. That glamoured mannequin act of his, I've seen that before too. Looks like he's just toying with us." Alex explained.

"If he was controlling that thing then he has to be close by, let's keep moving and hope he doesn't have any other tricks planned for us." Malik instructed as the group agreed and continued to venture deeper into the castle.

"Do you think the others are okay? I still can't seem to reach anyone with my Linkpearl." Robyn asked.

"Have ye tried reaching out to Moglet? Maybe the fluffy toy'll be able to hear ya outside these walls." Robin replied.

"I suppose that's worth a shot. He might even be able to tell us if the others are safe or not. Hello, Moglet? Flint? Can either of you hear me?" Robyn called out while holding a hand to her ear.

"Robyn! It's a little hard to hear but I'm reading you, kupo." Moglets voice rang through her ear.

"Great! Listen, we all got separated after Paris tried transporting us into the castle, are you able to read whether the others made it inside okay or not?" The Miqo'te asked. She was met with silence for a moment before finally getting a response.

"I can sense everyone's aether within the castle walls, there seems to be three different groups in total, kupo. each of you seem to be on different levels, right now a group on a lower level is catching up to one near the centre, kupo. The last group is nearing the pinnacle of a tower, kupo." The Moogle finished explaining.

"I doubt we're near the top so that means some of the others are likely to find their way towards us soon. Or we're the ones about to catch up to them. Well, all we can do is keep on trekking, thanks Moglet." Robyn dismissed before quickly putting her hand back to her ear.

"Oh one more thing, tell Flint to prepare the reinforcement we were talking about earlier, I think we might need it." She instructed before turning her attention back to the group and explaining what she had been told. The group ascended several flights of stairs and made their way through various rooms and corridors until they arrived at what seemed to be a large feasting hall.

Unlike the rest of the interior they had seen, this room appeared to be well lit with many candelabra lining the tables and large chandeliers hanging from above. Two rows of long wooden tables stretched across the room with padded benches accompanying them. Towards the end of the room, sitting on his lonesome was a light-blue haired Miqo'te. He placed his cutlery down onto a plate next to his half-eaten meal and turned around, lifting his legs over the bench to stand and slowly approach the group.

"Well, well, you all made it here quicker than I thought. You didn't even give me time to finish my supper, how rude." Alvin greeted them with a sly grin.

"Cut the crap Alvin, you've had this coming long enough." Alex replied as he drew a pair of knives from his coat. Alvin just shrugged with a sigh.

"Straight to business I see, well let's get this over with. I've got a job to do and I'd hate to disappoint the boss." The Miqo'te replied as a pair of aetherial daggers materialized in his hands.

"Ha! I didn't think you were the type to follow orders. You sure you're actually working for him and aren't just his little pet kitty?" Robin remarked as she readied her axe. A scowl slowly crept across Alvin's face."

"Careful Robin, I think you might have hit a nerve there." Alex grinned.

"Silence! I'm sick of you lot and have had more than my fair share of fun with you, it's time I snuff you all out here and now!" Alvin yelled as he dashed towards Alex with his weapons at the ready.


End file.
